Let's just pretend for a moment that DSLRs are officially dead and we're left with nothing else, but mirrorless cameras and cell phones. What would that mean to photographers?
DSLR Apocalypse
With so many articles discussing and predicting the death of DSLRs and rise of mirrorless cameras, there are lots of debates in the comments sections. There are people who are happy about it. Others are totally against it. Without any bias, let's say it really happens and the conveyor line labeled "DSLR" finally stops and the lights of the large manufacturing hangar are turned off.
Stories of Old
In order to think of possible outcomes we can relate the situation to something we have already seen in the past. For example, the cease of production of certain types of classic film stock. What happened then? Well, that film stock was not available in the stores. Did that stop photographers? It did stop those who were relying on film stock for their business. For example small photo businesses had their income mostly from developing film. But these are labs, not photographers, you might say. That's true, but lots of them were sporting both disciplines and their businesses were supported by a stronger and a weaker leg. The stronger one was the tool. Such experienced some tremendous losses.
What happened to the real film photographers? Did that stop them from creating art? No. They just started using other tools. For some the transition was technically painful, to others the pain was emotional. Several decades later the tools got better and the modern complaints are "no two card slots," "doesn't shoot 4K," "it's only 25 megapixels," etc. Art didn't stop with the stopping of a conveyor line for a particular tool.
Some Will Be Doomed, Others Not
What will happen if DSLRs are no longer available? You will be predestined of failure if:
- You are into the trade industry and you only sell DSLRs.
- You are technically servicing only DSLRs.
- All your money comes from investment in public stock on financial markets related solely to DSLRs.
- You are a member of secret society who swore an oath and cursed yourself if you would ever have used anything else but a DSLR.
In case you are not any of those, you will simply have to change your tool for making your imagination a reality. You may not find the new gadget that attractive or perfect, but think about vintage artists who used wooden sticks with horse hair at the end, dipping them into a solution of crushed rocks and linseed oil to create masterpieces which we still admire today. Yes, I'm talking about oil painters. They did well. They still do well with the same kind of instruments.
Conclusion
Times change. Industry changes. Technology changes. A visual can be represented by lots of means today. The most important tool is your imagination. It should not be bound by the tools. If it is, try unshackling yourself as soon as possible. Don't worry about the gear markets unless you have financial benefit from them. Worry about art. Be an art-ist, not a tool-ist.
You can buy used for the next 10-15 years. Many are and will go to mirrorless leaving a huge supply of used DSLRs on the market. There is very little that mirrorless can do that DSLR cannot and vice versa.
Canon and Nikon make some pretty heavy duty cameras. Wouldn't be surprised if you could keep one running for a long time. I started in the 90's with a camera made in the 60s :) Of course now I just shoot whatever is the latest and greatest.
My 7D Mk1 is going just fine after 10 years, twice around the clock.
My nikon d70s still works with no problems. 13 years old dslr. Only problem will be replacing the shutter in the future and I am sure someone other than nikon/canon will produce them to sell.
I just got back from a weekend vacation to Quebec, Canada. It was the first time I was out in a tourist location like that in quite a long time and was blown away and completely aware of and by the sheer amount of tourists wielding DSLR cameras. 99 out of 100 cameras were DSLRs, I barely saw one Sony A7. In the real world DSLRs haven’t gone anywhere and I’m sick of articles like this especially after my trip where I got to see what’s really happening.
I just took a work trip to Quebec, but had a little walking around time with my mirrorless (Contax iia, analog mirrorless form 1953). https://www.flickr.com/photos/markjwyatt/albums/72157710017961022
Don’t visit tunnel view at Yosemite then, your jaw would drop
I don't mind that technology advances, and the mirrorless stuff is actually starting to mature nicely. But I have a ton invested in Canon DSLR stuff and L glass. How long until that wears out? I won't be "upgrading" to a mirrorless simply because of the investment in the DSLR ecosystem. When lenses get damaged, lost, dropped and camera bodies wear out, stolen, dropped, whatever... THEN I'll consider the big switch. Until then, I'm shooting what I have until it's dead! At the end of the day, can someone REALLY tell if it was shot on a DSLR/mirrorless? Not really. And around 30 megapixels is certainly adequate for what I shoot. Unless there is some earth-shattering development no one sees coming with mirrorless it's really a bit like cars - yeah, the new ones have all the hype but for simple economics I gotta drive what I got into the ground!
Mirroless vs. DSLR largely matters to people buying in today. I doubt for most people there is a strong incentive to change. I bought my first good digital camera last year, and decided mirrorless fit the bill for me (though I did consider one DSLR system). Were I already invested in DSLR, I likely would not have seen a reason to change.
I would strongly argue that canon has its "old" lenses at heart with the R mount(EF and efs). If you ever said glass is more important than the body then the R bodies are sure to delight.
They do take the old EF lenses and improve their performance greatly (or perhaps the software takes a ham fisted spray and pray like me and keeps stuff in focus)...
I only have positive words for canons mirrorless. EF lenses are very very useful and instead of replacement when they wear out with ef lenses you and I will hopefully still be alive(I'm 35) and canon will still be selling cameras
My Canon DSLRs had reached the point of non-maintainability, so I replaced them with R bodies. But I haven't replaced any of my EF lenses--they work better than ever with the control ring adapter. yet, the lenses will also reach their points of non-maintainability one by one. I'll replace them all as their times run out.
I wanted full frame. I didn't always love my 7d mk ii. It's fast. It's mostly accurate. Eos r, full frame always accurate. Couldn't make that canon 50 1.4 focus on the 7d mk ii or the sigma 50 1.4. they are perfect now
No big deal, they are tools and if they need servicing there will be third party shops or replacements available for a few years. My EF L's will work for a long time even if I need an adapter to work with another system. If broke, my liability insurance will cover the damage. Trust me, the sky is not falling.
How many times is this DLSR dead thing going to be flogged?
Until it's.... Dead?
How do articles like get approved for posting? Write something artistic about photographing.
well it's either this or PetaPixel +1 day around here anymore it seems
"With so many articles discussing and predicting the death of DSLRs"
Ahh, yes the "educators" locked into their echo chamber
If you carefully look at the intent of the article it doesn't have anything to do wtih DSLRs, but any kind of camera that may eventually get discontinued, including mirrorless. The "DSLR" is used just for an example and because "DSLR" and "dead" seem to be trending keywords these days.
Until DSLR stops shooting digital, I don't see it going anywhere anytime soon!
Don't worry Pentax is your friend they think mirrorless is a fad. You'll be sorted until they cease to make financial sense
The F-Stioppers will fold up shop, as they can't write more stupid articles proclaiming dSLRs are dead for clickbait. Just as the 'experts' was prognosticating the death of Medium Format when dSLRS heralded the digital age.
Bring out your dead, bring out your dead...
The article didn't predict the death of the DSLR. It asked what would photographers do if that happens. The exactly same article will be valid if you replace "DSLR" with "mirrorless" and vice versa. But I see the usage of the word "DSLR" triggered some people.
I'm also glad there are others who looked from a higher level seeing that it's just a tool just like mirrorless, medium format, film, etc.
No, it's an article about the death of dSLRs by proxy. So yeah, a pig dressed up with lipstick is still a pig. You're trying to dress it up as an article about the meta post-dSLR era unless we're talking about zombie cameras?
If you want to know what happens just learn from history, it'll give you the answers you need. Of course the goldfish mentality of modern society prefers things to be spoon fed to them. Hence why I raised the point about medium format.
I wish photographers stop this ideological pogrom over dSLRs to get clicks and impressums. I appreciate that mirrorless is the new shiny but a better article would be what comes after mirrorless and the death of the mirrorless (which is inevitable) as manufacturers try and move the consumer on to the next profit making platform, Mobile phones won't kill mirrorless per se they're hit the wall, and dual screen devices are likely to be next dice roll for better or worse.
I don't really know what will happen, because I'm not interested in gear that much. This is why the article is all hypothetical and I chose the DSLR as a scapegoat, because that's the "new hype," if I have to say it that way.
Other than that you may be right that mirrorless many not live long, but we will see. I, personally, don't care that much if I have to use a stick of horse hairs or a fancy gadget that is called DSLR, mirrorless, medium format, etc. And yes, phones won't kill bigger cameras. They will probably just shrink the non-professional part of the market, because phones are good enough for many non-professionals.
Same hand wriniging and nashing of teeth I heard back in 1999. Replace film with DSLR followed by demise and what oh what will we do. Sorry heard it before . Along with film, DSLR's will be around long after their "death" is proclaimed.
I am safe, I use film slr cameras.😇
I am living the "When will rangefinders and TLRs die relative to the superior SLR" argument. Though I do have a digital mirrorless also (and SLRs).
Back in 1959, how in the world were Nikon and Canon going to get photographers to give up their Leicas and Contaxes?
And how was that complex, trouble-prone Hasselblad with the black-out with every shutter release going to get fashion photographers to give up their Rollies?
Technology always changes, and people always gripe about it.
The horse is dead, let it be for pity sake.
In Europe, a dead horse is called meat. Dinner anyone?
Possibly in France, but not in the UK.
Well, you don’t know that for sure.. 😁
You get my vote for funniest post!
Lose sleep at night
"What Would Photographers Do If DSLRs Officially Get Discontinued?"
Wild guess: They would move on to whatever gear is available and suits their needs.
Ricoh and the world of K-mount would simply disappear then. :(
Camera buying tip article you can use for free: Can't hold a camera still because of shaky hands, camera is just too heavy for you to hold as you wait for that pet auto-focus to find your dogs eye? Buy Sony. Love Canon or Nikon but really want to buy expensive lens all over again, go with their new mirrorless. For everyone else, save your money, keep shooting away and don't be surprised if someone looks at your images and can't tell if they had a mirror inside or not.
What would I do? I would be really annoyed that the 600mm f/4 (the older Mark II model) that I bought new for a bargain when the Mark III was released wouldn't be useable anymore without an adapter. These expensive and super durable white lenses are made to last for years (and by that I mean at least a decade), and I would be really mad at the manufacturer for making it impossible to use without an adapter. But what else could I do, right? And Canon probably doesn't give a sh*t about this anyway. So I'll probably move to mirrorless and rant a lot because of the headaches/migraines that the EVF gives me and because of the adapter that I need to carry all the time to use my "old" lenses.
"What would we do if Daguerreotype was officially discontinued?". Vision from a XIX Century with Internet...
majority of camera's out there are DSLR's. its old proven tech and will be dominant at any sports field. mirrorless is being sold more and more because of the marketing hype. it will take a few years until it pass the DSLR market share. and really, is mirrorless any better ? it sure is more expensive and not yet proven tech.
Back in 1959, that's what sports photographers were saying about TLRs. Who could use an SLR when that flapping mirror blacks out the image right at the critical moment?
A TLR with a sports finder or prism viewer works just fine.
I'd love to take that aging, worthless D850 off of anyone's hands.
Given the coming apocalypse, you should save yourself from big, bright, beautiful viewfinders with instant refresh and send all your DSLRs to me.
They can just buy used ones. Heck, I just bought a another Mamiya 6 film camera on Ebay, as it's my favorite camera of all time. You don't have to be a sheep mindlessly following the herd. Buy and use what works for you.
Hi Tihomir, thanks for your article. I appreciate your point and your humor. Change is good, and it's inevitable. What matters to many people is the speed of change. When paintbrushes moved away from horsehair, the transition took decades. When digital photography started, the transition from film took years. I think if some folks stop hyperventilating for a couple of minutes and think about it, the big fear may be that the change will be lightning fast - like everything else these days. People like their DSLR camera bodies - they have spent time to get to know them. Lenses represent a big slice of a photographer's net worth. An abrupt end to the DSLR world would be difficult. As a DSLR shooter myself, it seems to me that the image file format is not changing, so my files are safe. New cameras will be increasingly lighter, smaller, and cooler mirrorless models. OK with me. There are so many DSLRs out there they will probably be around and going strong for the next decade. Besides, I can get some extra exercise when I hike around with my heavier DSLR. For me, good images are limited by the guy pushing the shutter button rather than a missing camera feature.
Thanks Rob.
I don't think DSLRs (or any other camera) will come to an abrupt end and will be immediately replaced by something else. Yes, change will cost money, because manufacturers care about profit, not about ease of transition. But if someone is a working professional, they will manage to earn money with old gear and replace it with something that will cover their minimal needs and upgrade with time.
I watched the press shutterbugs at the end of the World Series last night. To my eye, there was not a single mirrorless out there... FWIW
All of this is eerily reminiscent of the SLR-DSLR transition. The same type of arguments, the same anecdotal claims that you weren't seeing professionals use DSLR's (until they did), etc. You'd think that we'd have learned by now. It's not something that'll happen overnight, but it's just a matter of time. DSLR development will slow down. Many of the people married to their DSLR's will age out of the industry. For better or worse, people will just get used to the new status quo and then one day we'll look around and suddenly see that most people aren't using DSLR's anymore, but nobody will be able to pinpoint some revolutionary moment because it won't exist. It'll be a gradual transition just like the last one was.